Motion transmitting mechanism



y 1951 R. F. SMITH 2,552,350

MOTION TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Filed Nov 12, 1.949

i\\\, mm /o 2/ 2O 20 IN VEN TOR. 225 22 PC6667 Fdw/n/ 4 24 I 9 V 7 I 5"'1 flrroemfy Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED PATENT OFFICE MOTIONTRANSMITTING MECHANISM Robert Floyd Smith, Fort Wayne, Ind. ApplicationNovember 12, 1949, Serial No. 126,713

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in motion transmitting mechanismwherein a rotor having a cam activates a reciprocator through the mediumof a follower having a swivei connection with the reciprocator.

It is a common practice to transmit movement to a reciprocator by arotor having a cam thereon or an irregular groove with which thereciprocator has operative engagement, and generally such arrangementsoccasion more or less frictional re sistance or lost motion to thetraveling parts.

The purpose of the instant invention is to afford a mechanism by whichrotary movement is im-' parted to a reciprocator in which issubstantially eliminated frictional resistance between the ac tivatingand activated parts of the apparatus Another object of the invention isto accurately convert rotary motion into reciprocating motion with aminimum of frictional resistance which is advantageous especially wherethe activating cam is more or less irregular in its course.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the followingdescription.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a structure in which the inventionis incorporated, parts thereof being in section; h

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical plan view showing overlapping sprockets thatengage radially disposed pins on a cam carried by a rotor, the parts insection being on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical elevational view in central section ofthe structure shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to an increased scale.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a rotor,indicated. generally by A, by which a reciprocator, indicated generallyby B, is activated through the medium of at gear mechanism or follower,indicated generally by C'.

The rotor A consists of a drum 4 secured upon a drive-shaft 5 mountedupon standards 6 that surmount a base I, the drum being adapted to berevolved accordingly as the drive-shaft rotates. The drum has aperipheral concentric cam 8 having opposite end walls 9 arranged inparallelism, the cam being of a selected shape suitably to accord withthe particular movement desired to be imparted to the reciprocator B.The cam has a series of spaced radially projecting pins l0 extendingfrom the center line of the cam that have operative relation with thefollower C hereinafter described.

The reciprocator B is shown in an exemplary form which consists ofalined shafts l I arranged to have sliding axial movement in bearingsl2, the inner ends of the shafts being connected with a yoke [3 by whichthe follower C receives support. The reciprocator B is activated by therotor mechanism through the medium of the follower C which isoperatively connected with the cam on the rotor and the yoke on thereciprocator.

The follower C consists of an oscillating crosshead M provided with anupstanding shaft 15 that projects loosely through the yoke l3 and has onits upper end a collar [6 and a Washer I I that afford support for theshaft. By this arrangement the cross-head M is permitted to have swivelmovement relative to the yoke l3. The cross-head has secured theretoparallel stubshafts I8 extending downwardly, on which are looselydisposed spur gears is that mesh with each other, and beneath saidgears, loosely disposed on said stub-shafts, are'sprockets 20 arrangedin separate parallel planes, so that the one sprocket overlaps theother. Both of said sprockets mesh with the series of pins ID thatextend radially from the cam 8 and are activated thereby when the rotorA is revolved. The gears l9- and the corresponding sprockets '20 areconnected by dog-pins 2i whereby movement of said sprockets imparted bythe radial pins I0 is accompanied by corresponding rotation of said spurgears. By this arrangement is accurately controlled uniformity of travelof the sprockets as they are activated by the rotor.

On the lower ends of the stub-shafts I 8 are loosely mounted rollers 22that are disposed astride the cam 8 and bear oppositely against thewalls 9 thereof. Washers 23 and pins 24 on the lower portions of thestub-shafts are provided to support said rollers thereon.

In use, the drive-shaft is connected with any suitable source of power(not shown) and the reciprocator B is suitably attached to an object(not shown) to be activated thereby, so that, when the rotor isrevolved, the object is moved to and fro through the medium of thefollower and. the reciprocator to an extent limited according to theparticular shape of the cam on the rotor. The invention is advantageousin that the swivel supported follower on the reciprocator and its spurgear and sprocket relation with the cam on the rotor aliords uniformityin the movement of the operating parts of the apparatus occasioned byimparting motion of the rotor to the reciprocator and in this manner issubstantially eliminated lost motion between all of the movable parts ofthe apparatus as well as binding between 3 the rollers 22 and theadjacent walls 9 of the cam. Thus is assured precision in the action oftransmitting movement from the rotor to the reciprocator.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may beresorted by the exercise of skill in the art, without departure from thespirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A motion transmitter having a rotor provided with activating meanstherefor, a reciprocator and a follower, said rotor having thereon acircumferential cam provided with an annular series of radiallyprojecting pins located midway between the ends of said cam, saidfollower having a swivel connection with said reciprocator for impartingmovement thereto and provided with rollers disposed astride the cam andbearing against the ends thereof respectively to limit relative playbetween the follower and cam, and a gear mechanism carried by saidfollower, said mechanism consisting of overlappin sprockets havingengagement with said pins and spur-gears that mesh with each other andare individually connected with said sprockets for concurrent rotationtherewith whereby is substantially maintained right-angularity of thefollower with respect to the cam.

2. A motion transmitter consisting of a rotor, a reciprocator and afollower, said rotor having thereon a circumferential cam provided withan annular row of radially projecting pins located between the ends ofthe cam, said follower having operative connection with saidreciprocator and provided with rollers disposed astride the cam andbearing against the ends thereof respectively to prevent play betweenthe follower and earn, a gear mechanism carried by the follower havingopposite overlappingsprockets engaging said pins and opposite spur-gearsthat mesh with each other and which have individual operativeconnections with the corresponding sprockets whereby rotation of saidgears and sprockets is concurrent, thus to maintain right-angularity ofthe follower with respect to the cam, and means for activating saidrotor.

3. A motion transmitter consisting of a rotor, a reciprocator and afollower, said rotor having thereon a circumferential cam the ends ofwhich have parallel walls, an annular row of radially projecting pinslocated on said cam between said walls, said follower having operativeconnection with said reciprocator, and rollers disposed astride said camand bearing against said walls to prevent lateral play between thefollower and cam, a gear mechanism carried by the follower in cludingoverlapping sprockets oppositely engaging said row of pins, and oppositespur-wheels having individual connections with said sprockets forconcurrent rotation thereof, whereby is maintained right-angularity ofthe follower with respect to said cam, and activating means for saidrotor.

4 A motion transmitter in which is included a rotor, a reciprocator anda follower, said rotor being provided with a circumferential cam havingparallel walls and an annular row of radially projecting pins locatedbetween the walls, said follower having a cross-head operativelyconnected with said reciprocator to activate it and parallel stub-shaftsextending from said crosshead, rollers on said stub-shafts that bearagainst the respective cam walls, sprockets loosely mounted on saidstub-shafts engaging said row of pins, spur-gears meshing with eachother loosely mounted on said stub-shafts having connections with saidsprockets respectively for concurrent rotation thereof whereby ismaintained right-angularity of the follower with respect to the cam, andmeans for activating said rotor.

5. In a motion transmitter, a rotor provided with activating meanstherefor, a reciprocator adapted for connection with a part to be driventhereby, an annular cam forming part of the rotor provided with parallelend'walls having thereon equally spaced from said walls an an nular rowof radially projecting pins forming the center line of said cam, afollower having a swivel connection with said reciprocator to activatesame and having opposing rollers bearing respectively against saidwalls, and a gear mechanism carried by said follower provided withspurgears that mesh with each other and sprockets engaging said row ofpins, and means connecting each of said spur-gears individually with thecorresponding sprockets to cause concurrent rotation thereof, said gearmechanism being adapted to maintain right-angularity of said followerwith respect to said cam.

- ROBERT FLOYD SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 76,139 Atherton Mar. 31, 1868142,903 Doubler Sept. 16, 1873

